


The Jeweller

by Lack_of_Common_Sense



Category: Original Work
Genre: A lot of pain, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst and Porn, Arrogance, Fantasy, For Me, Hurt, Lots and lots of pain, M/M, Pain, Porn With Plot, Public Humiliation, Rape, Rough Sex, Stockholm Syndrome, Transformation, creep-o-factor 8/10, fanfic of my own work, i have never not once in my life heard of logic and or consistency how dare you even insinuate, lots of pain, normies go away, not really stockholm syndrome but kind of yes, sex with a deity, tell my cat to stay away from the keybord ffs, the absolute ruining of one little human
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:01:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28526664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lack_of_Common_Sense/pseuds/Lack_of_Common_Sense
Summary: A prisoner to a cruel, dark deity, Keito is doomed to be forever trapped within the impenetrable walls of the Jade Palace, never to walk free again.
Relationships: the Jeweller/Keito
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. Recipe for Madness I

**Author's Note:**

> First and foremost: translations and repostings are NOT allowed.
> 
> Now, before we get into this, a few words from our sponsor, Anxiety and Depression™:
> 
> This work has been sitting idly in my computer for years and I have been writing this as a coping mechanism. It is an obviously problematic work. I can't hurt real people, so I'm hurting the little parts of myself who have been given names and shapes. If you listen closely, you can hear them screaming.
> 
> Yes, it is incomplete. Yes, in case anyone at all reads it, I am more than willing to answer questions and to give additional information about the unoriginal stereotypical world I have created and have no longer any intention of monetizing (in case that changes, there are chances I might be taking this down, but they are low). Yes, I am working on more, but know that if I stop writing these one day, it means that I have healed. 
> 
> Writing has been a coping mechanism for me for years. I was in a very bad place when I wrote Stranger, and I'm certain it shows. This work, too, is an embroidery of pain and misery. There is more pain in this than in any of my Gintama fanfictions because I love the boys too much to hurt them irreparably. With my own characters, I have the luxury to treat them the way I currently need to kiss my boo-boos.
> 
> The reason I'm posting this here is that while it might just get lost, as original works do, there isn't really another platform that would allow me to be so awful so freely. At least, not that I'm aware.

“Get up.”

Keito clenched his teeth, and suppressing a groan, he scrambled up to his feet; as he leaned his back against the boards heavily, he stared down the pallid figure at the door. He briefly thought that to resist the Jeweller’s henchmen was not one of the smartest ideas he’d ever had. His body ached all over, and though they didn’t damage any of his bones, each and every move hurt like all hell.

This was the sixth day since they had left the Sunken Rock behind.

They were close to the shore most of the time, and Keito assumed it was to avoid getting carried onto the open sea by some current. Regardless of the reason, he was tempted to get to freedom. He couldn’t even swim, but if he managed to jump into the water and somehow get to the shore by uncoordinated flailing, he’d be golden.

He didn’t even manage to get his feet wet. Before he could dive headfirst into the waves, he got caught by one of the trolls – he never noticed how long their arms actually were. Hanging by the side of the boat, he could just helplessly kick his feet in the air while the Jeweller stared at him without a word.

Keito had received a fine beating.

They didn’t hit his face, nor did they hurt him _too_ much. The Jeweller expressly told them ‘not to break anything’.

That he had to say it made Keito uncomfortable. The way he acted made him look like one of those mob bosses in the city if anything, but Keito knew that trying to talk to this guy would be completely pointless.

He had nowhere to run.

“I like the defiant look in your eye,” the Jeweller stepped closer. His bony hand briefly grabbed Keito under the chin. “Stay that way. It’d be a pity if you lost this spark.”

“What do you—” Keito started, but the Jeweller put a finger across Keito’s lips.

“I didn’t say you could speak, did I?” he clicked his tongue, narrowing his night-like eyes.

Keito clenched his teeth and glared at the other. So far, the Jeweller hadn’t done anything except being an extraordinary kind of jerk, and if Keito were a little less of a fool, his body wouldn’t be covered in bruises now either. Still, the further away they were from the Sunken Rock, the more and more worries clouded the ex-priest’s mind.

“I came to tell you that we’ve almost arrived.” The Jeweller reached out and thoughtfully ran his fingers through Keito’s hair. Then, like many times before, he clutched a fistful of it abruptly with enough strength to make Keito grimace in pain. “Don’t think of escaping. There’s nowhere to go from here, after all.”

Keito let out a bitter chuckle. The Jeweller couldn’t know that Keito thought the same thing moments ago, of course. The hopelessness of the situation was almost hilarious. Ever since he’d accidentally gotten himself kidnapped by Will and the rest, nothing was working in his favour. He looked the Jeweller square in the eye. He didn’t say anything, but both his expression and demeanour clearly showed that though he was cornered, he would not back down any more than this. This bastard could make him be obedient, but Keito would not stoop low enough to lick the Jeweller’s shoes.

With brows furrowed, he followed the Jeweller, not daring to make a single move out of line. He hardly cared for another heartfelt meeting with the floor and the trolls’ loving fists and feet.

The boards of the deck did not creak underneath their steps; the caravel was in an astonishingly great state. Even Keito, who had zero knowledge about sailing, figured that it’d be so loud that it would render him incapable of sleeping.

But the whole ship – including the crew – was eerily silent. Except for the two trolls who rarely spoke, there were just fairies, all of them about as tall as Cricket, and though they were very lively, they wouldn’t say anything. Keito’s desperate attempts to make a conversation got ignored.

Sometimes, the Jeweller would speak to them, and through the faint sound of waves, Keito would hear him. They never replied. As to whether they obeyed the Jeweller’s orders – to say they most likely did would be a safe bet.

Outside was just barely getting brighter when they got off the ship and reached the solid ground via a strange stone pier. It seemed hazardous if anything, the rocks in the small bay and around the edges were sharp and no sane person would ever try to steer their boat or ship near this area. The Jeweller was positively out of his mind.

Some of the crew members followed Keito and the Jeweller with his troll escort. Like ghosts, without a word.

Clenching his teeth a little harder with every step, Keito glared at the sharp stone rubble hurting his toes.

They didn’t restrain him physically, and Keito was aware it was because they didn’t need to. Like a lamb, he meekly followed the Jeweller’s back.

They passed through a dark, narrow chasm in the rock.

Then, an astonishing view unfolded before Keito’s eyes. For a split second, he stopped and just stared.

The sea reached behind the rock they’d passed through, and created a vast, but very shallow lake that glistened in the pinkish sun rays peeking through the clouds. As the darkness gradually drifted away, the mountains in the distance seemed to be covered in a blue haze. There was a thin layer of fog above the still water surface.

Everything was motionless and calm.

However, the further they went and the more inland they’d gotten, it was clearer and clearer that this island was barren. There were no trees in sight, just rocks, moss and lichen, or an occasional bush. There were no signs of animals or birds. No houses, either. Just silence and the smell of wetness in the air.

Keito was about to open his mouth and ask where they were going, but then he bit his lip instead and didn’t say anything. Instead, in the hopes of distracting himself, he began wondering about the fairies around him.

* * *

Keito didn’t know how long it took them to reach wherever the heck they were going, but it was about to get dark again when the Jeweller finally stopped in his stride. He turned around and eyed his slave from head to toe, then smirked; Keito’s face was tense and covered in sweat, he was breathing heavily and was unsteady on his feet. His clothes were torn; he’d fallen several times and hurt himself in more ways than one. He was thirsty and his tongue was sticking to the dry roof of his mouth.

They were standing in the shadow of a tall cliff.

With a mildly amused expression, the Jeweller placed his hand on the rock in front of them – and Keito’s eyes widened in surprise when the seemingly solid, impenetrable stone wall opened inwards, revealing a long, dark corridor.

As Keito stood there, stunned by what just happened and unwilling to take another step, one of the trolls just grabbed him and held him under his arm. They entered the corridor and the entrance closed seamlessly.

After a while of being carried, Keito began noticing some shapes in the dark. It was vague at first, but eventually, he realised there were stones in the walls and they emitted a very faint glow. It was so weak that he couldn’t see ten steps ahead, but it was enough for him to see that they were going upwards. The corridor started getting wider and brighter, and then they entered a giant hall Keito couldn’t see the ceiling of.

To his surprise, it was full of small silhouettes moving around. There were hundreds of fairies, and upon a closer inspection, it seemed like this was a market of some sort. Keito could hear them talking amongst themselves, but it was just a distant murmur. When they noticed the Jeweller, silence swept through the area like a wave. Some of them fell to their knees, not daring to look up.

Very timidly, one fairy stepped closer. It was a sharp-looking young man in a tawny tailcoat; his clothes seemed better than those some others had, and if Keito could guess, then he was the same type as Keito himself. A troublemaker. A flirt. And first and foremost, a calculating bastard. Someone who wouldn’t hesitate to suck up to those above him if it would bring him benefit.

“Welcome back,” he bowed so low he could almost kiss his own knees, “Your Majesty.” Even his voice was good – pleasant and melodic. Keito narrowed his eyes; this guy was a hate at first sight.

The Jeweller eyed him, his expression unreadable. Eventually, he nodded and stepped towards the crowd. The people backed away as quickly as possible – not just to let them pass through, but also to avoid being anywhere near the Jeweller. The young man quickly hopped to his side and tried striking up a conversation. “How was the Gathering?”

The Jeweller stopped abruptly, smiling at the young man. “Splendid. Absolutely splendid, Duke Robin.”

_Robin_? Keito, despite his current situation, held back a giggle. _That would explain the colour of his coat, then._

Duke Robin was ready to make a run for it, but seeing the Jeweller’s pleased expression, he decided to stay at their side instead, as the group continued in their original direction. “Did anything exceptional happen, Your Majesty?”

“Ah, yes. I met an old enemy of mine.” The Jeweller’s smile darkened. “Good times. I took his cute pet.”

“A… pet?” Duke Robin looked around hesitantly, searching for anything that could fit that description, and his eyes fell on Keito. “Oh. That’s a human… isn’t it?”

“Of course.” The Jeweller nodded and turned to look over the square he’d just crossed; the fairies had resumed their previous activities very quickly. “Have you never seen one?”

The Duke pursed his lips. “No, Your Majesty,” he replied reluctantly.

The men fell into silence as they made their way up the stairs to a great archway. Keito got carelessly dropped on the ground, and the two trolls walked up to the gate that was blocking their path forward.

They leaned against it and pushed with all their might, their feet making grinding sounds against the stone floor. Eventually, and only with great reluctance, the gate opened; sharp rays of light shot out through the slowly widening gap, and Keito had to look the other way. It was too bright. Cold air gushed from inside and made him shiver.

He got picked up from the ground and carried inside only to be dropped again, but this time he was ready and at least landed a little more comfortably.

The trolls closed the massive gate again, then stood one by each side, not allowing to follow the Jeweller any further.

“Get up,” the Jeweller said for the second time that day.

Grunting in pain, Keito scrambled to his feet. The floor inside was white and smooth, so clean that one could eat from it – and Keito left droplets of blood where he stepped.

With a disapproving look, the Jeweller turned around, and Keito followed him unhappily. Each step was akin to dancing on broken glass.

The corridors and staircases seemed to have no end. Strangely enough, even though it was lit so brightly there was barely any room for shadows, Keito didn’t see a single light source. The further they went, the colder it was, but nobody except Keito seemed to be affected by it. Keito himself welcomed it at first because the cold floor was a relief to his hurting feet, but after some time it started making things worse instead.

Just when Keito started getting dizzy from ache and thirst, the Jeweller opened a door and shoved him into the room roughly, gesturing for the rest of his silent entourage to stay outside. The door clicked closed.

Keito looked around. The room was just as bright as the other parts of this place; there were several fairies in the room, but they were minding their own business. None of them looked up when the Jeweller entered. Most of them were polishing gemstones of many shapes and colours, lining them up on a large table in the centre of the room. Two of the fairies were standing by the entrance; they seemed to be supervising the place. Their clothes – likely uniforms – were black.

“Strip,” the Jeweller waved in Keito’s general direction. He walked over to the table and eyed the rows of glistening precious stones. Eventually, he decided, and picking up three identical violet gems, he turned around to see that Keito hadn’t followed the order. He was just sitting on the ground, petrified. He wasn’t just playing dumb – everything hurt and he could barely move.

“Didn’t you hear me?” the Jeweller stepped closer. Keito didn’t react; the Jeweller shook his head, sighing, and he snapped his fingers. Immediately, the two fairies in the uniforms rushed over. Though they were much shorter, the exhausted Keito couldn’t even dream of matching their strength, and before he knew it, he was naked.

“Hold him down,” the Jeweller commanded, then calmly watched the fairies grab Keito’s ankles and pin his wrists to the floor above his head. After that, he knelt next to the weakly struggling Keito and examined his bruises. They were purplish and in the white light in the room they contrasted with his skin even more. One by one, the Jeweller traced them with his fingers. “Do you like pain?” he looked at the man on the floor.

“Wh-Why?”

“Answer me.” The Jeweller leaned so close their noses almost touched. His long hair brushed Keito’s face.

“I don’t,” Keito admitted through clenched teeth. This was heading in a very wrong direction; even if it weren’t for the cold surrounding him, he’d have goose-bumps.

“Oh? In that case, I’ll give you two options.” The Jeweller straightened up and raised the corners of his mouth slightly. “These,” he said, holding up one of the three crystals for Keito to see, “are going _here_.” He placed his palm in the middle of Keito’s chest gently, watching him shudder. “It’s going to hurt. But you can choose if you want to receive them all at once, or one by one.”

“Hurt? How much?” Keito wished desperately his voice had not trembled with those words.

The Jeweller smiled warmly, stroking Keito’s cheek. “ _A lot_.”

“Wh-Why would you do that?”

“You keep talking out of line,” the Jeweller’s eyes narrowed briefly. “I don’t appreciate that.”

Keito could feel the fairies flinch. “Th-then… A-All at once,” he swallowed hard. If he had to undergo something painful, he’d rather make it as short as possible. There was no point in dragging it out.

“Okay. Don’t move.” The Jeweller carefully placed the three gems on Keito’s skin, making sure they were symmetrical. They felt cold to the touch, but not as much as the floor. “Oh, but,” he said as he held one of his hands above the jewels, “if you manage to stay silent, I’ll let you keep your voice.”

“Voice?!”

“Most of my servants are mute. Dare to guess why?” the Jeweller asked while reaching out to grab a fistful of Keito’s hair; the other hand, which was hovering over his victim’s chest, started emanating heat. “Your voice is nice,” he whispered. “It’d be a little saddening if you couldn’t use it anymore, wouldn’t it?”

Blinding agony shot like lightning through Keito’s entire body. He closed his eyes and with mouth agape, he let out a voiceless scream. It burned like a thousand suns and it was piercing cold like the unconcern of space; he struggled in trepidation against those who were restraining his limbs. Vainly. He couldn’t move an inch. His voice was the last thing of his own, and if he were to be robbed of that as well…

The gems on his chest were shining brightly as they slowly began burrowing into his skin. His vision was alternating between black and white, his body was crying for help. There were hot tears running down his skin and he wished he could die instead of having to bear something like this. Still, he didn’t make a sound, even though every passing second felt like a century of suffering.

For a few heartbeats, it felt as though his muscles wanted to peel off of his bones. He clenched his fists and his back arched up like a bow. He’d forgotten about the cold; a shaky hiccup escaped his throat when he looked at the Jeweller.

Those dark eyes were unreadable, but all that could be seen on the Jeweller’s face was _kindness_. He had a gentle expression, loving almost, and with each passing second of torment, the smile seemed to get warmer and warmer.

Finally, the Jeweller put his hand down on Keito’s chest, slowly thumbing over the newly embedded gems. The pain gradually subsided, but the stones were pulsating as though they were alive. Keito was breathing deeply, clenching his teeth still. His whole body was tense, and he could taste blood on his tongue; he wasn’t sure if he bit himself or if the reason was something else. After such a terrible experience, he felt wholly numb.

“As I thought, this colour really suits you,” the Jeweller licked his lips. “You’re a work of art.”

“Why,” Keito sobbed. The two fairies stepped aside, so nobody was holding his arms and legs anymore, but he just lay there lifelessly, tears still veiling his eyes. He was trembling; his body received a shock it was unlikely to recover from anytime soon, if at all.

“Because it looks great,” the Jeweller said, “and because they give me control over your body. If I wanted, I could bend you to my will. It’s very useful. Would you like me to show you?”

Very quickly, Keito shook his head. The Jeweller chuckled and leaned closer, gesturing at one of the two fairies who were on standby to come closer. “Show him,” he said. The fairy, a gentle-looking girl with platinum hair, opened her uniform without a hint of hesitation. There was a white gem in the middle of her chest, its shape very similar to the ones Keito had.

Her face was indifferent as she stood there with chest exposed; Keito noticed scarring on her throat. Immediately he understood that she was probably mute because of what the Jeweller mentioned earlier.

“See, you’re not the only one,” the Jeweller said, dismissing the fairy with a simple nod. “But…” he added, lowering his voice, “you did make some sounds. I told you to be silent.”

Keito’s eyes widened in horror as the Jeweller’s finger gently pressed down on his pulse point. “D-Don’t,” he pleaded, expecting only the worst.

“Then, tell me what you can do to please me.” Raising one of his eyebrows, the Jeweller tilted his head. “I might change my mind then.”

Keito could see that he was in a playful mood, and nothing was scarier than this thought – but he could still take a gamble and pray. “I’ll—I’ll do anything,” he breathed out and attempted to sit up. To his surprise, it turned out to be a bit easier than he had expected. His body was shaking due to the shock it had to suffer through, but he felt strangely rejuvenated.

“Will you?” the Jeweller narrowed his eyes. “That is your argument? Thanks to the gems, you’re nothing but my puppet. I don’t care if you’re doing anything out of your own volition or mine.”

“You said I have a nice voice,” Keito caught the last straw of hope he could grab onto. “If you take it away, nobody will ever get to hear it again.”

“That’s… a surprisingly good point,” the Jeweller curved his lips slightly. “You’re attentive. I like that. However…” he got up, looking down at Keito, the smile never faltering, “if that should be the reason, then I have some bad news for you.”

With a quickening heartbeat, Keito looked up at the Jeweller; their eyes met. A chill ran down Keito’s spine. Without a word, he waited for the Jeweller to elaborate.

“You’re not going to be happy with what I have in mind. Come,” the Jeweller turned his back to Keito and started making his way towards the other end of the room. Keito got up – very, very carefully – and he was about to follow, but before that, he looked at one of his feet briefly. They were just as ragged as before, but he could barely feel the pain. Unsure of whether it was simply because he’d just been subjected to something much worse, or if something else caused him to be this numb, he quickly went after the Jeweller.

There was another corridor, and the Jeweller was making his way down it leisurely, not bothering to turn his head to make sure if Keito was behind him. There was no space left for doubt.

Though he was not showing it, Keito was terrified. He had no idea what to expect, but his instincts were screaming at him to beat it, run and hide, because so far being anywhere near the Jeweller meant nothing but a world of hurt. After what had transpired, he understood perfectly just why the entire square went so silent back then. They all were likely very scared of attracting the Jeweller’s attention. The moment those dark irises stopped on someone’s face, that person was done for.

Duke Robin had to be one of those unfortunate people. Due to his status, there was nothing he could do to avoid the Jeweller. If Keito were to guess, there was a number of fairies of noble origin, and all of them were very careful to appease the Jeweller in every way possible. As Keito imagined, the Duke had to step out of the crowd because he was the nearest – if others were present, they probably hid quickly. Facing His Majesty was no joke.

“Um…” Keito hesitantly started, “may I speak… Your Majesty?”

“You learn quickly, don’t you?” It was impossible to tell whether the Jeweller was pleased, or quite the contrary. “What do you want to say?”

“Where are we going?” Keito asked in the politest tone he was capable of.

“You need a bath.” The Jeweller pointed at a door at the end of the hallway.

Behind the said door, there was a majestic dome. The air was much warmer there and steam was rising towards the ceiling. Hot water covered more than two-thirds of the dome. There were a few fairies bathing in the lake, but when they saw the Jeweller enter, they all made a rushed escape towards the opposite end. Keito noticed there was an opening which seemingly led outside.

“What are you standing there for,” the Jeweller said impatiently. “Get in the water.”

“My apologies,” Keito stepped towards the edge of the lake. He was relieved to see the bottom wasn’t very deep. Carefully, he climbed in and hissed when the water embraced him; it reached his waist immediately, as the edge fell sharp down. His chilled body welcomed this change, but it was a little too abrupt.

He turned around with a start when he heard a splash. The Jeweller was in the water, just as naked as Keito, scrubbing his skin. As though he could feel Keito’s stare, he glanced over his shoulder: “Are you trying to irritate me? Or do you need my help?”

“I’m—I’m sorry!” Keito started washing quickly. He heard the Jeweller click his tongue and he didn’t dare to look that way again, but… moments ago, he couldn’t tear his eyes away. Under the Jeweller’s robe, there was a body that had him mesmerized. It seemed slightly _wrong_. Inhuman. The proportions didn’t seem to be correct – rather than a real person, he seemed like a statue created by a blind sculptor who knew a detailed _description_ of what the human body looked like but had never even touched it.

Keito inhaled sharply when big hands suddenly grabbed his shoulders. He was dunked underwater from behind and pulled up immediately again; when he finally managed to find solid ground, trying to catch his breath, he looked in confusion at the Jeweller, who had circled him and was now standing in front of him.

The Jeweller’s eyes were narrowed, and he was watching Keito intently. “Would you dare guess what you’re in for?” he said eventually, brushing the wet hair off of Keito’s forehead.

Keito shook his head. He wanted to avoid being wrong in front of the Jeweller because he had no way of guessing what could happen to him after.

Slowly, very slowly, the Jeweller’s fingers locked around Keito’s neck. “So fragile,” he whispered, tightening his grip until Keito couldn’t breathe – just briefly, then he let go.

Keito gasped for breath, though it was less due to the lack of air and more because of the shock. The Jeweller’s hands moved to grab his shoulders again, clutching them so hard Keito’s skin turned white.

“You see,” the Jeweller said thoughtfully, “I did say that I could control your every move. But… more than that,” he smiled yet again, “I want to see you struggle. I want to see you obey me even though you hate it.”

“Hate what?”

The Jeweller didn’t reply; instead, he dragged Keito along to the edge of the lake; sitting on it comfortably, he gestured to his crotch. “Suck it,” he ordered, tilting his head.

Keito looked at him, clearly baffled. Noticing his confusion, the Jeweller reached up and tugged Keito’s arm strongly to make him fall to his knees. Then, he grabbed Keito’s lower jaw while shoving his thumb in Keito’s mouth, pressing down on the tongue. “You’re surprisingly dense. Did you really not understand?” His voice had a small hint of disapproval. “Open up,” he demanded.

Keito’s eyes widened upon the realisation of what was being asked of him. He had misunderstood the Jeweller’s wording because at first it hadn’t even occurred to him that something like this could be done at all, let alone between two men. His entire body tensed up in rejection – even more so when he saw the Jeweller curl up one corner of his mouth.

With great reluctance, while he wished to be anywhere else, he scooted a little closer and parted his lips; seeing this, the Jeweller removed his hand and leaned back, watching Keito with eyes narrowed.

Keito’s hands were shivering madly as he placed his left on the Jeweller’s bare and wet upper thigh while his right reached for the Jeweller’s still-soft member. He found this severely disgusting, just the thought of having to put such a thing in his mouth made his stomach turn. With a shudder running down his spine despite being chest-deep in the hot water, he closed his eyes and massaged the Jeweller’s penis to make it erect.

The Jeweller gave no instructions, he just sat there silently, having Keito take care of him. Keito could feel his stare burning through his skin and exposing his innermost parts; though he knew it was extremely unwise to make the Jeweller wait too long, each and every single one of his cells was struggling against it.

Unwillingly, he opened his mouth wider and attempted to take the Jeweller in. Immediately, he felt as though he was about to throw up, though it was not a matter of taste. It was making his skin crawl, and he felt so repulsed like never before. He couldn’t go too deep, otherwise his gag reflex would kick in, and the unfamiliar weight on his tongue wasn’t making things any better. He realised he could feel tears beginning to well up in his eyes, and he hated himself for that.

He was sure he had scraped the Jeweller several times with his teeth, but the other did not seem to mind in the slightest. Keito felt a hand stroke his throat, and it made him sick – it was as though the Jeweller’s touch, albeit tender, held his very soul.

“You’re bad at this,” the Jeweller stated – more with interest rather than dissatisfaction. “Stand up.”

Keito did so quickly, more than happy to let go of _that_. The Jeweller eyed him, got up in no rush, then suddenly grabbed a fistful of his hair. “Don’t think we’re done.”

Before Keito could comprehend what was happening, his face met with the hard surface of the rocky edge of the lake. He gritted his teeth as he could feel his skin bruising; the hand holding his head down from behind showed no intention of letting go.

Something brushed between his ass cheeks and he shuddered; it couldn’t be that the Jeweller was thinking he could do Keito like a woman?!

No matter how hard Keito wanted to deny everything that was happening, there was no mistaking it. The Jeweller’s fingers slid over the puckered hole several times before prodding in. Keito’s body tensed up again, he wanted to free himself, but any attempt to struggle against that hand pressing him against the floor was in vain.

The Jeweller was taking his time. His bony digit was going in and out with slow and shallow thrusts, making Keito squirm. Even though Keito’s body hurt, even though the way he was being pressed into the floor was the reason he was going to have bruises and chafes all over his body, he kept on struggling, wanting to run away. The pain now wasn’t nearly as bad as the one he was subjected to minutes prior, but it itself wasn’t the problem. “Don’t,” he choked out with wetness now glistening on his cheekbones.

“You’re going to be in pain if you’re not ready,” the Jeweller said, his voice soft and gentle. “You said you dislike pain.” He added a second finger as he continued to speak, “And because you haven’t satisfied me, we need to do this the harder way.”

Keito clenched his fists helplessly. Listening to this man was infuriating; he never raised his voice, he made himself sound kind regardless of what kind of terrible things he was saying.

“Although,” the Jeweller seemed not to have rubbed enough salt into Keito’s wounds, “I have intended to do this since the beginning.” He pulled his fingers out abruptly. Keito whimpered, but cut himself off when he felt something else at the place that should not be entered.

“No,” he breathed out a split second before something much bigger invaded him. A distressed groan escaped his throat and his fingernails scratched on the rock underneath. The preparation wasn’t nearly enough, and the Jeweller had to be aware of that for sure.

The Jeweller stopped holding him down and his hands moved to Keito’s sides instead. “Your first time, right?” he said, chuckling breathlessly when he began to slide out slowly again and caused more desperate words of protest to roll down Keito’s lips.

“Cry for me,” a suave order fell upon the poor Keito’s ears. “Let me hear you.” Keito, however, was already crying plenty. Those were the tears of shame, of absolute humiliation, of broken pride. He sobbed loudly; being controlled by a man in such a way was scary.

Keito just barely got up on his elbows before he cried out loudly with the first thrust of the Jeweller’s hips. He felt like he had to cry more with each, as the Jeweller continued. Soon, his voice turned hoarse and his whole forearms burned as they were being scratched up from rocking back and forth.

There was a pair of hands holding Keito’s waist so strongly he thought he was going to break. There was saliva dribbling down his chin, the wet sound of skin against skin was making him want to hurl; he began feeling dizzy, it was getting hard to breathe…

“S-Stop…” he managed to get out through his clenched teeth, attempting to turn to look at the Jeweller.

“Aren’t you adorable,” the Jeweller said, leaning closer and changing his pace to slow, shallow thrusts. Keito closed his eyes again, hanging his head down lifelessly. He was fully aware that there was no use begging, but…

“Ugh!” he shuddered with a grunt when the Jeweller moved to touch Keito’s chest and sank his fingernails into the irritated skin. The hand went lower, scratching mercilessly along the way, leaving stinging traces.

“You’re not hard,” the Jeweller stated upon reaching Keito’s nether regions.

“Of—Of course not!” There was no way he would be. Something like this…

“I guess we’ll get to that point eventually,” the Jeweller mumbled to himself, then straightened up and slammed Keito’s face down to the floor abruptly again.

Keito fainted halfway through.

When he woke up, he was still beside the lake, and he was still completely naked. The Jeweller was gone. Keito more than welcomed that. Everything hurt and even though he didn’t have the courage to check, judging by the throbbing pain, he was sure his back door got torn.

Hesitantly and carefully, he got up and looked over his body. It was covered in scratches and chafes, and there were reddish imprints of fingers on either side of his stomach. When he touched them carefully, he hissed; they were surely going to become bruises later. Combining all those with the ones he already had, there was barely any space left on him left undamaged.

His stomach growled.

Sighing, Keito decided to wash up first before doing anything about his hunger. He hadn’t eaten in almost a day and they hadn’t been giving him much food on the caravel, so he had always felt hungry lately.

As he stepped into the water, he heard footsteps behind himself. Turning around quickly, he saw a fairy in a uniform standing there, her dark eyes unreadable as she was looking at him. “His Majesty asked me to bring you this,” she said, raising her hand with a small basket, “and you are to come to him after you get dressed.” Eyeing him, she added, “Plus, this is just my advice, but make sure to wash up properly before you go. You need to look your best in front of him. Although you can’t really do anything about the bruises.”

“I was going to do that,” Keito said, and to make it sound like less of a retort, he added, “Thanks.”

“No need to thank me,” the fairy shook her head. “In the first place, you being here makes just more work for us. Especially for me.”

“What?” Keito looked at her in confusion, as he slowly lowered himself into the water. It stung. “Why?”

“I’m one of the few servants whose voice hadn’t been taken away. Since His Majesty now has a talking pet, as per his orders, I’m going to have to look after you.” She folded her hands on her chest. “And let me tell you this now, I don’t like it one bit, so please try to avoid causing me trouble.”

Keito hung his head. It was a nod of sorts, as he could only guess what could happen to both of them if something went wrong. However, he was sure it would be beyond unpleasant.

Climbing out of the water, he gritted his teeth to bear the pain. The fairy waited until he came within an arm’s reach, then handed him the basket wordlessly.

Keito inspected its contents. There was a large piece of soft, white fabric, a golden brooch and several golden bracelets of different sizes; Keito took out the cloth, and seeing it wasn’t shaped like any piece of clothing he’d recognize, he looked at the fairy with a questioning expression.

“What?” the fairy raised her eyebrow. “Do you need me to help you get dressed?”

“I… don’t follow.” Keito was genuinely confused.

She sighed and took the white fabric from his hands, then leaned forward to drape it around his hips and pin it together with the brooch.

“A… skirt?”

“A loincloth.” She eyed him again. “His Majesty really did a number on you, didn’t he,” she commented about the state of his skin.

Keito watched her silently as she picked the bracelets one by one and decorated his wrists. When she knelt to put the last circle of gold on his ankle, he said thoughtfully, “I might be wrong, but… I feel like you’re being more cautious around me than you need to be.”

“Ah, you’re wrong,” she got up and took a few steps back, evaluating his appearance. “I need to be very cautious. You’re the exotic animal, and I’m the replaceable caretaker. There are hundreds of thousands of others like me. If His Majesty decides I am no longer needed, I disappear, and nobody bats an eye.”

“That’s…” Keito wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “You call him His Majesty even when he’s not around?” he asked instead, hoping to change the topic at least a little bit.

“Let’s go,” she gestured at him and turned towards the exit. “Of course I do.”

“What do you mean, ‘of course’?” Keito caught up with her quickly, gritting his teeth as they entered the cold corridor; walking turned out to be unpleasantly difficult.

“It’s on his orders. Honestly, though, I feel that it’s disrespectful towards him.”

“Disrespectful?” Keito parroted.

“Don’t you know? He’s our forefather. He gave birth to our race. Like you humans have myths about gods who moulded your ancestors out of ashes and morning dew, we, too, have a god like that,” she paused briefly, “but he walks among us, and he’s terrifying.”

“Some perverse god you have,” Keito muttered under his breath.

“That is not for us to judge,” she shrugged her shoulders. “Who are we to tell our god what to do?”

Clenching his teeth, Keito did not reply. He had nothing to say; as a former priest, his experience was that _he_ was the one telling people what was right. To have a god within an arm’s reach was unthinkable.

Then again, so was sucking a god’s dick, and yet here he was.

“Through this door.” The fairy stopped. “I’m not allowed to enter His Majesty’s chambers unless called, so I’ll be waiting here.”

“Okay. Thanks.” Keito opened the small door in the wall and went through – only to enter a large hall leading up to an enormous gate made from green carved stone. _That_ was probably the door leading to the Jeweller’s rooms.

The hall was completely empty, and everything was so quiet Keito found it hard to breathe. Having walked up to the gate, he lightly touched its glossy surface. It was cold, as he had expected – however, despite the contact being so brief, the heavy gate opened soundlessly, leaving Keito in the very middle of the gap it had created.

Keito felt so very, very small.

Only after several seconds did he dare step over the imaginary line separating the two halls. His heartbeat was rapid and still speeding up; he was perplexed by the fact that just the mere thought of having to face the Jeweller again was making freezing fear run through his veins. Even though His Majesty was nowhere to be seen, Keito felt weak. Looking over the hall, he swallowed hard; both the size and the artfully carved walls were breath-taking. There were many archways leading to somewhere unknown, some had doors, some did not. This was likely just an antechamber, a base knot to the tangled net of hallways, rooms, staircases and corridors that he could not see, nor could he imagine it in its fullest.

“Ah, there you are.” The Jeweller’s voice, though not too loud, echoed under the arched ceiling. Keito turned in its direction and hesitated; though he saw the Jeweller standing at the right side of the hall, leaning on the wall leisurely, he did not trust his knees not to give in before he could even get close. His throat tightened; there were thousands of warning bells instinctively ringing alarm in his head, as he slowly and cautiously took the first step.

He was not expecting His Majesty to be too patient, but surprisingly, the Jeweller waited for Keito to come within an arm’s reach without a single word.

“How are you feeling?” he asked eventually after many excruciating seconds of silence.

Keito, taken aback by the unexpected question, took a while to respond. “I… I’m fine, Your Majesty. A little hungry, though,” he admitted, thinking that he just made an understatement. He was almost ready to start biting rocks off of the walls, each passing minute was making matters worse and worse.

“Ahh… That’s right, you’re a human, so you need to eat more frequently,” the Jeweller said, more to himself rather than to Keito, “I’ll see to it later. Don’t worry, I can’t have you starve to death.”

Hearing him say that certainly did not ease any of Keito’s worries.

“The reason I’ve called for you,” the Jeweller gestured at Keito to follow while he turned to walk by the wall further away from the entrance, “is that I want you to be by my side at all times. Or, as much as possible.”

They entered one of the archways and passed through a corridor to what turned out to be a library of sorts; right from the very first steps into this room, there were scrolls upon scrolls neatly stacked on hundreds of shelves as far as the eye could see. There were several staircases around the room, leading up to higher levels of the room, allowing to reach everywhere. Keito stood amazed, eyes jumping from one scroll to another. So much to read!

“You’re staring. Close your mouth before I give you something to occupy it with,” the Jeweller said with clearly audible amusement, running his finger along Keito’s lower jaw.

Ashamed, Keito pursed his lips and looked down.

“I reckon you like reading, then?” the Jeweller turned his back to him and made his way towards one of the staircases. “I’ll allow you to spend your free time here if you’re good; you need to earn it, after all.”

Keito, who was following closely, shuddered. Although it was tempting, he didn’t want to even think about what ‘being good’ could possibly entail.

“I was rather pleased earlier,” His Majesty continued, not minding any of Keito’s reactions, “and I’ve decided to keep you a bit longer. You’re going to be a great boredom relief. It’s a little bothersome that you’re going to have to eat and sleep, but I still have not decided whether you’re worth enough for me to do something about it.”

Just what is it you’re planning to do to me?! Keito clenched his teeth so hard it hurt.

The Jeweller stopped at the very back wall of the room and reached for one of the scrolls. Opening it briefly to get a glimpse, he nodded and turned to go back, handing the scroll to Keito as he passed by. “I need to say, the sex was great. I’ve almost forgotten how good it felt to hold someone more or less my own size. You still need to be taught a lot of things, though.” His Majesty’s words hit Keito with the intensity of an avalanche.

Keito made a choking sound, which, thankfully, the Jeweller chose to ignore. _Of course…_ Before Keito came into the picture, the only ones to bring the Jeweller that sort of relief were the fairies. The very same who reached barely the height of Keito’s chest, those petite, frail-looking creatures. Despite it seemed as though they had a sense of obligation towards the Jeweller, there was nothing that could make that kind of thing okay in Keito’s eyes. Above all, Keito himself as a grown man could barely take it – the size of _that thing_ , that is. Even now, walking was an ordeal. Keito made sure he wouldn’t show it too much, and it sort of helped that he hurt all over and not just in _that_ one area. However, if he were to imagine what was bound to transpire…

No. He didn’t _want_ to imagine.

With his skin crawling, he wordlessly kept on walking about two steps behind His Majesty’s back. Everything about the Jeweller was wholly bad and spelt trouble. In this bright world full of ghostly lights and cold glossy surfaces, the darkness that had no place outside was hiding in the endless wells of the Jeweller’s eyes. It was twisted, it was perverse, it was beyond Keito’s understanding; he caught himself missing the life in the corrupt filth of Cronequill. There, he used to be a small gear in the machine, while still being a part of the system; back at that point, he had had the ability to divert and influence the currents around him – and for better or for worse, he could read people clearly. He knew what to expect. He knew which strings to pull, and thence, he lived his life relatively unharmed.

Here and now, he was a lowly slave – no, less than that, he was nothing but a pet to a cruel master in a hostile environment. As far as he knew, other than pitying him, the fairies had no reason to treat him kindly. He had noticed that some of the servants were giving him no less than hateful glares back in that room where the Jeweller embedded those purple gems into his chest. Though he was only realising it this late, he had an idea why they were like that; His Majesty, their god, the Jeweller, the master of life and death on the Isle of Jade was suddenly showing _favouritism._ And to make everything worse, it was to some no-name human whom His Majesty had brought back from the Gathering.

“Keito. Pay attention.” The gems on Keito’s chest throbbed and he groaned in both pain and surprise. He was so deep in thoughts that he had not noticed that the Jeweller had started speaking again.

“My apologies, Your Majesty,” he breathed out timidly, bowing his head.

“You’re asking to be punished,” the Jeweller stated in a reprimanding tone. “I said I’ve arranged this room,” he pointed at the door in front of them, “to be yours. You can sleep and eat there. At this point, something to eat should be waiting for you inside. While you feed,” Keito squirmed upon hearing that word, being reminded that he was just a pet, an accessory at best, “read the scroll you’re holding. _Very_ thoroughly.”

Keito bowed once again to show that he had understood.

“I’m going to leave you to your food and rest,” the Jeweller grabbed Keito’s chin and made him look up, “but be ready to come running when I call for you.” There was a warning gleam in the cold night of his eyes.

“I—I understand, Your Majesty,” there was a stutter, as the Jeweller let go of Keito and turned away.

Keito did not dare to lift his head until he could no longer hear the Jeweller’s footsteps.

Gritting his teeth angrily, he opened the door to go inside the room. It had a simple bed and a desk, but it was empty otherwise – except for a bowl and a spoon sitting on said desk. Keito sat down on the bed, glaring at the scroll in his hands. He hated himself for being intimidated by that asshole. He resented the Jeweller even more for intimidating him. He, however, was painfully aware that he had never had a choice in any of this.

He opened the scroll.

Quickly, he closed it again and dropped it onto the bed as though he had touched something revolting.

Just why in the world was he being forced to study this kind of thing?! Truly, it was a work of art with the beautiful handwriting and the colourful paintings, but the contents…

The Jeweller must have given it to him to make sure Keito could please him better next time. For some reason, Keito no longer felt hungry. _Gross._

Either way, he had to eat _something._ Upon examining what was in the bowl, he was relieved to see that it was a simple porridge; he felt he wouldn’t be able to digest anything heavier.

Looking at the food in his hands, he suddenly came to a realisation which left him feeling guilty. Another reason why the fairies were glaring at him back then could be that Keito was going to be cared for in every way without having to lift a finger. Not only that, he was allowed to keep his voice, though that was only due to the Jeweller’s playful mood – and perhaps, perhaps the Jeweller might even be more forgiving towards Keito than he would be when it came to the others. All of the above still heavily depended on how whimsical His Majesty would turn out, but Keito seemed to be, though unwillingly and in chains, in a better position than any other person in the Jeweller’s palace.

Keito, without having such intentions, had become an eyesore the moment his feet touched the deck of the Jeweller’s caravel.

Sighing, he grabbed the spoon and the scroll; as the Jeweller had said, he had to read that while eating. If not for any other reason, to save time – should His Majesty call for him, he’d better be ready.


	2. Recipe for Madness II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this one is stupid. I admit it. It's a part of the process though, so here it is

“At your service, Your Majesty,” Keito managed to say without the slightest stutter, as he bowed deeply. He had practised it countless times, with or without the Jeweller being in the same room. Even so, it was just as difficult as before to stay calm anywhere near that man.

Or… slightly more difficult. Perhaps due to the gems embedded in his chest, perhaps for another reason, Keito felt that the Jeweller’s presence had grown in him. It was difficult to put into words, but over a few days – or what he had assumed were days, since he had no other way of measuring time than his own sleeping cycle – he had developed a sense for where the Jeweller was at any given moment.

And he kept changing further.

He began noticing this roughly after three or four weeks here. His senses seemed to turn keener, and though he had initially thought this palace was dead, like a ghost town with all the mute and overall silent fairies, it turned out to be much livelier than his first impression.

It also reminded him just how alone he was.

But, there was one more thing. His wounds healed much faster. The recovery speed kept on increasing, too, and regardless of how quick it was, it left no scars. At this point, if Keito got cut enough to bleed, it would close completely within an hour. All things considered, it was likely the Jeweller’s doing in some way.

Once, the Jeweller had a great deal of fun involving a pair of knives. Keito shuddered, a chill running down his spine. If he could pick, he’d rather not relive that again – the Jeweller’s intrigued face stained with blood was downright nightmare fuel. He was doing these kinds of things half out of interest, half for his amusement, and Keito knew just how painful either could be.

“Come here.” The command came from the darkness in the room. It was strange; considering the omnipresent light everywhere aside from Keito’s own bedroom, this was the only other room that was completely submerged in darkness, as far as Keito knew. The moment the door slid shut behind him, he couldn’t see the tip of his nose.

This was the first time he’d received the permission – order – to enter this place. The Jeweller would spend a lot of time here – enough for it to be suspicious.

Cautiously, he stepped into the darkness. There was no point in being careful regarding the Jeweller; he knew where His Majesty was. He was more concerned about possible obstacles he could run into.

“Mind your step,” the Jeweller turned to him and Keito hesitated just in time to find that there were stairs going downwards. Slowly, he descended the short three steps, as he continued making his way towards the master of his life and death.

The Jeweller was sitting in what might and might not have been the middle of the room on what Keito, once his knees hit the edge of it, recognised as a bed of some sort. It wasn’t particularly soft, but it was covered in the same kind of fabric his loincloth was made of.

The Jeweller reached up to him and though Keito was fully aware of this, he did not move away, so his shoulder got grabbed and he got pulled down onto the sheet next to the Jeweller. His Majesty, completely naked, loomed over Keito, thumbing over his lips.

Keito closed his eyes. It changed nothing, of course, but no matter how many times he was subjected to this kind of thing, he just couldn’t get used to it. “Y-Your Majesty,” he said when he felt the Jeweller’s hand move away, “may I ask about something?”

“Go ahead,” the Jeweller replied. Thankfully, he seemed to be in a good mood, so Keito figured he could show a little more curiosity than he usually would have. It was easy now to sense His Majesty’s state of mind.

“Why… is this room so dark? Everywhere else is… I can cover the lights in my room, but here, it’s pitch-black.”

“Oh, that kind of question, is it?” Even with the complete darkness and his eyes closed, Keito knew the Jeweller’s eyes gleamed dangerously. The vibe he was giving off instantly changed.

 _Uh oh._ Swallowing hard, Keito regretted having ever opened his mouth.

“I’ll tell you while you suck me off. You _have_ studied like a good boy, right?” A thumb brushed over Keito’s chin.

Keito inhaled shakily. Since the first time, he hadn’t done this, and he had been hoping it wouldn’t come up again. Truly, from the very bottom of his heart, he loathed the idea of having another man’s penis in his mouth or anywhere near it. He’d rather take it up the backside… but he knew he’d crossed the point of no return.

No word he had said could have been taken back, and even if he now said he didn’t want to hear it after all, the Jeweller would pry his clenched teeth open and shove it deep into his throat anyway. His Majesty was a man of his word, and worse, he was a man of action. Once he had set his mind to a goal, there was no stopping him.

Very reluctantly, Keito got off the bed and knelt on the floor. Had he known he’d end up with his head between the Jeweller’s thighs again, he would’ve kept his mouth shut.

The Jeweller made himself comfortable on the edge of the bed and reached out to run his fingers through Keito’s hair. He’d do that kind of thing a lot – grab, hold and tug, stroke or gently comb through the strands; it was a strange fixation that seemed to have no relation to anything whatsoever, but Keito found it strangely reassuring. Reassuring, and binding in a way. It was just another means of control, but…

He took a deep breath and was about to grab the Jeweller’s dick, but His Majesty stopped him. “No hands, Keito.”

Gritting his teeth helplessly, Keito leaned in and nosed at the cock in front of him. Grudgingly, he parted his lips and stuck his tongue out to lick. The Jeweller rested his hand atop Keito’s head. “You’re oddly adorable when you look so hateful.”

Keito hummed quietly, as he couldn’t very well reply with his mouth fully occupied.

“This room is my resting chamber,” the Jeweller began explaining. “You might find it ironic, but I’m not very fond of bright lights. They tire me. Extremely so. That’s why I often seek my peace here.”

“Hng?” Keito made a questioning sound. It seemed odd that the Jeweller would have the entirety of his palace lit up so blindingly if he hated it.

“It’s because of my children,” the Jeweller replied to what Keito hadn’t asked. “They live off of light. It’s not just the palace, it’s all of their homes and most public spaces. After the skies have gone dark, their lives were at stake. The Jade Isle is not abundant in eatables, as you have seen. Suddenly, there were thousands of fairies on the brink of death by starvation. Of course, the light sources I have provided are not as sufficient as the sunlight,” he admitted, “but I felt the need to at least somehow undo the wrongs that have befallen them through my erroneous acts.”

Keito, taken aback, stopped. “So… you’re saying that… the dark sky was your fault?” he said, trying to wrap his head around it.

The Jeweller’s hand shoved his head back down. “I haven’t said that you could take a break, have I?” he said in a reprimanding tone, then continued: “Yes. Admittedly, I have done some things which might have had rather serious consequences. And though I do not dislike this turn of events,” he added thoughtfully, “I’ve caused my children great hardships.”

Keito shuddered. To hear the Jeweller call the fairies his _children_ , considering how much he’d done to them, was beyond disturbing. He spoke fondly of them, he spoke words of protection and care, and yet…

“I was born of darkness,” the Jeweller’s train of thought seemed to have derailed, “but I’ve created thousands over thousands of beings of light. It’s quite amusing, actually.”

Keito furrowed his brows and tried harder, though his jaw was beginning to ache. Since this bastard was already making him do this kind of thing, he better be focused. Entirely on purpose, he scraped the Jeweller’s skin with his teeth.

The Jeweller hissed, clutching Keito’s hair. “You mischievous little…”

Keito received a load of bitterness he was in no way ready for. He choked and tried to pull away, but the Jeweller held him firmly in place. “Swallow it all, Keito,” he ordered through his clenched teeth, his voice slightly hoarse.

The moment the Jeweller’s grip loosened, Keito jerked his head backwards, coughing. It was horrible, revolting, the aftertaste was bad enough for him to want to cut his own tongue off – or at least wash it with the strongest-tasting soap he could possibly find. It took all his willpower to keep himself from vomiting it right back out.

The Jeweller was watching him quietly and the atmosphere in the room was getting more and more suffocating.

“Have you ever asked yourself…” he offered Keito a hand to help him get up, and as there was no choice to make, Keito grabbed it only to get pulled right into the Jeweller’s arms. “… why you have three of these,” the gems in Keito’s chest pulsed as if in response to His Majesty’s words, “whereas all of the servants have just one?”

“I… have,” Keito said hesitantly. He was sweating bullets, he could feel his skin get all wet; both his body and his brain sensed grave danger.

“It’s because it allows me to give you multiple kinds of stimulation at once,” the Jeweller said, pushing Keito down on his back.

The gems lit up, illuminating the Jeweller’s face with their purplish glow. Keito held his breath in fear; the look in His Majesty’s eyes was far from comforting.

The leftmost gem started turning warm. It was a strange kind of warmth, and it was a sensation Keito recognised; it was like an aphrodisiac, heightening his senses and sending a tingling feeling to strange regions. “I wonder,” the Jeweller brushed his fingers over the rightmost gem, which in turn did the same as the previous one, “How much of pain and pleasure can you take at once?”

With eyes widened in horror, Keito watched the Jeweller smile.

The middle gem throbbed once, twice, and Keito’s eyes instantly overflowed with tears. It was similar to back then, as though his bones were rejecting his flesh, as though all of the internal organs began trying to swap up their positions at once. He hiccupped; the Jeweller was staring at him intently.

He was afraid to let his voice out. There was no telling whether he was still forbidden to scream, and he was not taking any chances.

The Jeweller pulled the only piece of cloth covering Keito off of his hips and leaned in with interest. Keito’s exposed dick was hard and dripping, it had become like that in a matter of seconds, and despite the pain scorching down his nerves in his entire body, Keito was itching to touch himself. His hands were clutching the sheet beneath him so hard they were cramping – he couldn’t bring himself to let go.

Silently, the Jeweller reached out to trace his fingers along the other’s throbbing shaft. Even that light touch was electrifying, and Keito whimpered, his hips inadvertently thrusting against the teasing hand. The Jeweller chuckled; having covered his fingertips with Keito’s precum, he moved lower and shallowly prodded into the hole. “Try asking me,” he said, the darkness in his eyes briefly drowning out everything else.

For a heartbeat, Keito felt as though he was falling through a cold, endless void. Then, in a flash, everything returned with mind-shattering intensity.

“Pl-Please,” he choked out strenuously, his voice breaking in that lone word. Be it the pain or the unnatural and scary degree of arousal, he wanted it to stop. The long digits thrust into him and he threw his head back, the sensation of being invaded in this manner no longer unfamiliar to him.

Anything to make this end sooner.

Anything.

One of his hands let go of the sheet and reached down to meet the Jeweller’s. His Majesty, mildly surprised by this action, stopped moving his fingers, eliciting a desperate moan from Keito’s throat.

Keito grabbed at the Jeweller weakly; even though he was groaning in pain, the desire to get rid of the pleasure high that was setting his skin aflame and making him short of breath was unbearable. Trembling feverishly, he breathed out: “Your Majesty… I’m _begging_ you…”

With a wolfish grin, the Jeweller pulled his fingers out and grabbed Keito’s legs under his knees, pushing them upwards. Keito yelped loudly when the Jeweller’s dick entered him, and he felt filthy for welcoming it. His Majesty leaned in to lick up Keito’s neck. His teeth grazed the damp skin, and Keito made another distressed sound.

“Ngh,” he moaned when the Jeweller began moving his hips. The intensity of all the sensations was muddling his brain; he was dizzy and out of breath. The sway was making matters worse, and he could do nothing but hang onto His Majesty’s broad shoulders, digging his nails into the pale skin. The pain from the crystal in his chest was not subsiding, it was unpleasantly persistent, but combined with the pleasure he was receiving…

The Jeweller let go of Keito’s legs and leaned lower; Keito, now free to move a little bit, locked his legs around the Jeweller’s body – against his better judgement. His groans and cries melted together into a cacophony now echoing throughout the room. He wanted to come so much, he was so, so close…!

And yet, the release was out of his reach. The Jeweller must have known, of course he knew, since he was the reason for Keito’s state – but he continued without a shred of sympathy for his lowly prey. He sank his teeth into Keito’s nape, biting hard enough for Keito to instinctively attempt another futile escape from his embrace.

Suddenly, the middle gem in Keito’s chest stopped aching, and the abrupt change sent Keito over the edge. He released all over his chest and stomach, crying out loudly in both arousal and helpless anger. The Jeweller pulled out, and looming over Keito, he, too, came – adding to the sticky layer of liquid on Keito’s skin. Then, he heavily fell to the side, exhaling in satisfaction.

Keito lay as he was for a while, trying to calm down a little. He was still shaking like crazy and he knew that were he to stand up, he’d collapse immediately. The gems were no longer active, and they had gone dark, but Keito’s tormented body couldn’t quite keep up.

He curled up on the bed. Immediately, a heavy arm fell over him and pulled him closer before he could get up and leave, as he usually would. Upon being pressed against the Jeweller’s bare chest, he realised that His Majesty’s skin was drenched in sweat. It surprised him, but the fact that he wasn’t allowed to go just yet was much more worrisome.

“You’re staying right here,” the Jeweller said. “I want to touch you more.”

“N-No,” Keito blurted out hastily, attempting to struggle. “I can only take so much…”

“Be silent.” The Jeweller’s hand slid down Keito’s still semen-covered stomach and stopped in his crotch. “The night is young,” his breath tickled Keito in the ear. “Since you’re being interestingly obedient, let’s play some more.”


	3. The Crumbling of Mind

At first, Keito had the impression that should he give in entirely, the Jeweller would get bored quickly, and he was afraid of finding out what that could result in. His Majesty was not one to be trifled with; in a good mood, he was dangerous – in a bad mood, he was deadly. Keito felt that he had to keep resisting even though he no longer thought it fruitful. It was tiring and this kind of pretence was hazardous; for this reason, he had to find out what the Jeweller really wanted.

Never had he stood in front of such a difficult task. The Jeweller’s actions were unreadable and unpredictable – regarding Keito, and regarding everything else.

He had no respect for anyone, that much was apparent. There was nothing he’d hesitate to do to show his disdain towards those who came from outside, wanting to… negotiate. Keito was rather surprised just how many matters the Jeweller had his long bony fingers in, and less surprised that most of those were things he would describe as wicked.

It was very difficult to gain His Majesty’s approval… or even interest. There was a day, one of those less fortunate ones, when the Jeweller – likely to let the other party see how bored he was – ordered Keito to kneel and suck him off in front of everyone. The guest, offended by such an act, attacked the Jeweller.

None of the guards did anything.

They didn’t have to.

The Jeweller, with Keito between his legs, and one knee casually hooked over the armrest, simply reached out and caught the blade in his hand before he or Keito could have been injured. The hall echoed with the unpleasant, ear-wrecking noise of sharp steel scraping on a hard stony surface. The blade shattered in His Majesty’s grip. One of the falling pieces scratched Keito’s bare back; though the others fell down harmlessly, the Jeweller was not pleased.

At first he wanted to execute that man, but he just banished him from the island in the end. Although Keito felt that the Jeweller had overreacted – especially considering Keito’s speedy recovery – it led him to a certain realisation.

The Jeweller was _fond_ of Keito. In some way, at least.

Thus, upon being summoned to the Jeweller’s side, Keito decided to try being cooperative for once – to see how His Majesty would react.

The Jeweller was outside on top of the palace mountain, watching the barren, hostile landscape of the Jade Isle; they’d brought out a fancy lounge chair for him to lie in.

“You’ve called for me, Your Majesty,” Keito said, kneeling on the floor by the Jeweller’s feet. His Majesty, as though he hadn’t noticed him until he spoke, gestured for Keito to come closer. Keito complied, scooting over obediently. As he often would, the Jeweller reached out his hand to stroke Keito’s hair.

Unlike the usual, Keito leaned into it instead of staying still, and he closed his eyes. It became, after all, quite pleasant once he got used to it. He felt the Jeweller freeze in surprise briefly before resuming the petting.

“Have you slept well?” the Jeweller asked, eyeing Keito questioningly.

“I’ve gotten used to my room by now,” Keito shrugged his shoulders. It was somewhat an evasive response, but it was also sort of a yes, and it was the truth. At first, it was hard to fall asleep there, surrounded by nothing but the coldness of stone, and his exhaustion was the only reason he’d manage to close his eyes in the first place – but that was long gone.

The Jeweller did not reply. Instead, he pulled Keito onto his lap. “Your hair has grown,” he said, slowly cupping Keito’s cheeks with his palms. “Would you like to have it cut?”

Keito raised his eyebrows in surprise. For His Majesty to ask what Keito would like, even if it was about such a small matter, it made him uneasy. “If… if it pleases you, Your Majesty,” he murmured, expecting something bad to happen any second. He had decided to be as compliant as possible, but the Jeweller’s behaviour was strange, and since His Majesty was as unpredictable as the weather, there was no telling what was – or was not – about to go down.

The Jeweller’s hands slowly slid down to Keito’s throat. Their grasp was not tight, but Keito shuddered nonetheless, remembering many of the sensations these hands had brought him. “It’s grown very quickly,” he breathed out in a futile attempt to clear his head by continuing the conversation.

“I’ll have someone cut it for you, then,” the Jeweller grabbed a fistful of the hair briefly, then combed his fingers through the strands. “In a way which will suit you better than your previous cut, or the crow’s nest you have going on now.”

Keito hung his head. _What’s going on?_ he wondered. His Majesty was not one to ask this kind of things, nor had he ever expressed any sort of interest in what Keito would wish for.

“What’s wrong?” the Jeweller asked, gently caressing Keito’s cheek.

“Are we… not doing it?” Keito said nervously. He wasn’t eager to go through with something like that, but he was preparing himself for it mentally this entire time – hence, he’d rather do it at this point.

“Do you _want_ to do it?” the Jeweller narrowed his eyes, but continued before Keito could respond, “Of course you don’t. You never have. Albeit it can be thrilling when you vainly try to resist me, I’m not in such mood today. But,” he added after a brief moment of thought, “if you _do_ want to do it, I might reconsider.”

“Why have I been called, then?” Keito blurted out before he could stop himself.

“I wanted company,” His Majesty glanced across the horizon, then eyed the quickly darkening sky. “Does it bother you?”

“N-Not really,” Keito stammered. It was an outright lie, but it bothered him for different reasons than the Jeweller might have expected. He wasn’t used to this kind of approach.

“The trader who came to speak with me today was…” the Jeweller sighed in exasperation, “obnoxious. Humans are not worth spitting on. Can you believe he had the gall to accuse me of not keeping my word? Preposterous.”

“Baseless accusations?” Keito asked carefully, not sure how to proceed.

“Well…” The Jeweller cracked a mildly amused smirk. “I might’ve tampered with my end of our agreement. But I don’t go back on my word. He’d brought it upon himself, trying to cheat me. Worthless, lowly human.” His Majesty’s expression turned disdainful.

Keito looked away upon hearing those words, and the Jeweller noticed. “What?”

“Does Your Majesty consider me worthless as well?” Keito said through his clenched teeth. If that were the case, then there would be no point in trying to gain the Jeweller’s favour – and that could mean that Keito should be ready for death to come any day.

The Jeweller’s eyebrows rose briefly, but then he seemed to have understood. “But, my dear Keito… you are not human anymore,” he replied, slowly trailing his fingers down along Keito’s spine.

“Then, what am I?” Keito could hear his own voice break. Certainly, he had noticed some odd changes, but he never would have thought…

“That, I don’t know. I am, however, certain that there is not a trace of humanity left in you. You’re the first one I’ve ever tried this experiment on, so I have no idea what you’ve turned into. I do feel that you’re much closer to me now, though. There’s a… connection. I mean, besides the one we occasionally form physically.” There was a smile curving the Jeweller’s thin lips.

“C-Closer?”

“I’ve made you into something that bears a strangely strong likeness to yours truly,” His Majesty mused, eyeing Keito’s bare chest and the glistening three gems embedded in it. “One of a kind. Alone in the entire world. Not a human, not a fairy – something to be admired. Worshipped even.” The Jeweller looked up and his dark eyes met with Keito’s. “So much more than a human.”

“I don’t… understand,” Keito murmured.

“Have you seen yourself lately?” His Majesty reached up to touch Keito’s hair again. “I know the lighting is not much, but… you’re different from when you came here. Also, I’m sure you’re aware of… how your body’s changed.” With the last word, the Jeweller’s fingernail cut through the skin on Keito’s forearm abruptly.

Keito hissed in pain; tears veiled his vision as he watched the fresh cut close slowly. There was no scarring. “Why?” he choked out.

The Jeweller cupped Keito’s wet cheeks with his palms, then slowly pulled his head down to meet Keito’s lips with his own. Shocked, Keito struggled briefly, but the Jeweller held him firmly in place, savouring their first kiss.

“Don’t cry,” His Majesty breathed out. “You’re weeping for something you’ve lost months ago. Something you don’t need. Something you didn’t even _know_ you had. And although you’re beautiful even when you cry,” he wiped a teardrop off of Keito’s face, “it’s such a waste.”

“Y-Your Ma—” Keito hiccupped, unable to say another word. His world was shattered. In its entirety. He had thought that he had nothing left, yet unaware, he’d lost even the things he didn’t know _could_ be lost. The Jeweller was watching him silently, his eyes not once leaving Keito’s face.

“It’ll pass,” he said eventually, wrapping his arms around the paralysed Keito. His lips gently touched Keito’s pulse point. “Look,” he whispered, “the sky is getting dark. We should go inside.”

“… Nh.” Keito nodded meekly, still otherwise lifeless in the Jeweller’s embrace.

“Or,” His Majesty continued speaking, “I can hold you, right here, right now. And you can finally give in to me without worrying needlessly since you know you are mine in every way.”

Keito, finally collecting himself a little bit, glanced around. There were two guards standing nearby, holding torches, and his caretaker was likely present, too, though he couldn’t see her. In spite of all he had done on the Jeweller’s orders until this point, and despite feeling devastated by his recent discovery regarding his loss of humanity, he still felt extremely embarrassed doing such a thing with somebody watching.

He would have thought he’d already be used to it by now.

But to his surprise, at the same time, he felt strangely reassured by his current predicament. His Majesty only ever used him for this, and the fact that this time, he seemed disinterested in the beginning, threw Keito off. Immensely so. He needed something he could hold onto, something that was always true, and being kept in this place robbed him of everything he used to rely on.

The Jeweller’s fingertips explored Keito’s skin in fascination. “There’s not a single scar on you, even though I’ve been so cruel,” he said thoughtfully, with interest, as though he was admiring his work. “You never cease to surprise me.”

Keito swallowed hard. It was strange; moments ago, he felt devastated and numb, but now, as the Jeweller’s hands caressed his body, each and every place they even lightly grazed began tingling hot. There was the intention to arouse in the touch, and Keito soon found himself throbbing for the man in front of him. He discarded the only piece of cloth covering his body, dropping it on the ground, and as he was naked in the Jeweller’s lap, goose-bumps broke out all over his skin. The air was cold, but that was not the reason.

“You seem to be wanting it more than I’d expected,” the Jeweller said, letting Keito grab his hand.

Keito’s cheeks, already reddish, turned a darker shade. He kissed the Jeweller’s fingertips, closing his eyes as he did so. His heartbeat quickened when he felt His Majesty’s hand slowly go up his inner thigh. Hesitantly and timidly, he took two of the Jeweller’s fingers in his mouth. Immediately, they pressed down on his tongue and went to the back of his throat in their entire length. At this point in time, Keito had no gag reflex to speak of, but a teardrop seeped through his eyelashes nonetheless.

The Jeweller pulled out his fingers out of Keito’s mouth and brought them, now slick and wet, to the only other place they could possibly enter. Keito let out a shaky moan, clutching the Jeweller’s shoulders. He was kneeling with legs apart over His Majesty’s lap; with the Jeweller fingering him, he could barely stay upright.

“To think you were not aroused in the least the first few times we had sex,” the Jeweller chuckled under his breath. Keito whimpered when he felt his erection being grabbed. “Now you’re dripping all over me.”

“S-Sorry,” Keito sniffled, opening his eyes, then cried out when His Majesty’s fingers pressed against the sweet spot inside. Shamefully, he wanted more; he thrust his hips against the Jeweller’s hand, breathing heavily. The inside of his mouth was dry as he was gasping for air.

Rather than being rubbed in the front, he wanted to feel something entering him. He let go of the Jeweller, and clumsily, he reached down to untie the sash the Jeweller had around his waist.

“So eager,” the Jeweller said, deliberately stimulating Keito’s prostate again. Keito shuddered, suppressing a groan, and he continued fumbling with the Jeweller’s clothes until he managed to uncover His Majesty’s chest and nether regions.

“Tell me, Keito,” the Jeweller pulled the other closer, skin-to-skin, and he looked up at him, “what do you want to do?”

“I…” Keito muttered shyly, “I’d like to… feel Your Majesty… d-deep inside.”

“Why don’t you sit down on me then,” the Jeweller pulled his fingers out, causing Keito to whimper again. “By yourself.”

Keito looked into the unreadable abyss of the Jeweller’s dark orbs and trembled slightly. His unsteady fingers reached under to find the hot shaft, and he let out a strained sound as he lowered himself onto the Jeweller slowly. The stretch he used to hate in the past was now something he welcomed. His back arched up like a bow, and he bit his lip, holding his breath briefly, clutching the Jeweller’s shoulders once more.

His Majesty grabbed a fistful of Keito’s hair and brought their mouths close again. Keito hummed into the kiss; doing this was something so unnatural to him. He would never have expected the Jeweller to do something this intimate.

“You’re still so tight,” the Jeweller whispered sensually, clearly enjoying Keito’s embarrassed reaction. “Won’t you move for me?” he continued, stroking Keito’s cheek gently. Keito nodded, raising his hips obediently, and as he felt the Jeweller slide out, he moaned shakily. Though he was short of breath already, soon he picked up somewhat of a steady pace, gasping with every move.

The Jeweller lay back, just watching Keito struggle.

Keito could feel the Jeweller’s stare burn through his skin. Somehow, regardless of how many times they’d done this, he just couldn’t get used to being watched. “Y-Your Majesty,” he whined after a while, scratching lightly down the Jeweller’s bare chest. “I—it’s not enough…”

Smiling briefly, His Majesty embraced Keito tightly and swapped their positions, looming over the other like a predator over his prey. His teeth grazed the skin of Keito’s neck before sinking into the tender flesh. Keito cried out, throwing his arms around the Jeweller’s neck and locking his legs around the man simultaneously. In a weak, yet wantonly lustful voice, he begged for more.

The Jeweller caught Keito in another lip-lock, picking up a pace which suited him better. “You’re so cute,” he said, seeing Keito throw his head back when he hit a good spot inside. He bit the exposed neck lightly again, enjoying the way it made Keito tremble.

Keito tightened his embrace as he came, not wanting to let go. His entire body tensed up, and he clung to the Jeweller as though his life depended on it.

“That was quick,” the Jeweller remarked; he sounded a little out of breath. “It seems that you like it more when I am in control.”

Keito shivered at the sound of His Majesty’s voice. He was being strangely gentle today. Something felt… off.

“But I haven’t finished yet. What are you going to do about that?” the Jeweller asked, brushing away the bangs sticking to Keito’s forehead.

“I could… u-use my mouth?” Keito suggested, looking away.

“Alright,” the Jeweller pulled out, letting go of Keito, and he made himself comfortable opposite of Keito. “Please do.”

 _Please?!_ Keito, taken aback, had shortly forgotten what he was to do. His Majesty would ordinarily _never_ speak in this way to someone of lower status – and surely there was not a single person in the world who’d be of the same or higher status than the god of the Isle of Jade.

“I’m waiting,” the Jeweller said softly, reaching out to caress Keito’s cheek. He thumbed over Keito’s lips, an unreadable expression on his handsome face.

“My apologies,” Keito quickly knelt onto the floor and scooted closer to do as he had said. This wasn’t the first time he was about to have the Jeweller’s dick in his mouth right after it was inside him, but it still weirded him out to no end. He licked up the shaft, and immediately, he could feel the Jeweller’s digits comb through his hair. Closing his eyes, he took His Majesty in, no longer unwilling to do this. He knew that the Jeweller didn’t mind a bit of teeth, so he didn’t hold back in that regard; sucking so hard his cheeks hollowed, he had a single goal in mind – to deliver as much pleasure as he could. Peeking at the Jeweller, he saw that His Majesty’s eyelids were lowered; it might have been just an illusion caused by the torches’ flickering, but his expression was very focused.

Keito reached between his own legs to touch himself. He had just come, but the inside of his mouth was sensitive, and he was still tingling, even more so with the Jeweller reaching deep into his throat.

Soon, the Jeweller’s grip on Keito’s hair tightened, and Keito’s head got jerked backwards. Keito just barely managed to close his eyes before his face got covered in the Jeweller’s cum. He hung his head as a wave of shame washed over him, looking at his hand wet with his own semen. Suddenly, he felt cold and small, and as he was kneeling on the hard ground, covered in quickly cooling sticky liquids, he was struck with the urge to cry.

The Jeweller snapped his fingers, and one of the guards standing nearby jumped closer. Keito wasn’t looking at them, so he inhaled sharply in surprise when the Jeweller pulled him back up.

“Hold still,” His Majesty commanded. With a soft towel he likely got from the guard, he began cleaning Keito’s face. When he proceeded to wipe Keito’s just as dirtied abdomen, Keito couldn’t but ask the question which had been bugging him.

“Is… something the matter, Your Majesty?”

“Why would you ask that?” the Jeweller stopped wiping him and looked him in the eye.

“Your Majesty’s been very kind today,” Keito said quietly. He did not mean to imply that the Jeweller would otherwise be unkind, seeing as towards Keito, he was generally more tolerant than towards anybody else. However, he’d learned by now that the ways in which His Majesty bestowed his grace weren’t always pleasant. But today, he was… benign.

“Would you rather have me abuse you?” the Jeweller grabbed Keito’s wrist to wipe his hand. When Keito shook his head panickily, he chuckled briefly, continuing, “I know. Times are changing, Keito. And since you’re by far my finest creation,” he leaned so close their noses almost touched, “you are to be cherished by me and worshipped by others.” Having said that, he planted another kiss on Keito’s lips, then he got up. “Get dressed,” he smiled warmly. “I have some business to attend to now, but meet me in my chamber later.”

“Understood,” Keito bowed his head and waited like that until the Jeweller disappeared inside. Then, he picked up his loincloth, and once he dusted it, he draped it around his hips and pinned it together. Passing by the guard who hadn’t followed the Jeweller, he stepped inside and leaned onto the cold wall.

It just wasn’t right.

Something was about to go down.

Even though the Jeweller would never tell an outright lie, Keito felt that His Majesty hadn’t told him the entire truth this time.

With heart heavy, he turned to walk down the corridor.

He was going to find out what was going on, punishment or not. Something this strange was not meant to happen.


	4. The Collapse

Keito was sitting on the floor, leaning his back against the cold block of stone the Jeweller called his bed. The Jeweller’s chamber was, as usual, pitch black and he couldn’t see a thing. However, he knew that His Majesty was now nearing this place.

He pressed more of his skin against the cold surface behind him in an attempt to calm down. He felt hot, and he ached to be touched, but he was forbidden to by His Majesty. Keito was not to touch himself unless ordered to do so. The reason for this was obvious – if Keito got horny, there was only one way of getting release, and that was asking his one and only master.

The gems embedded in his chest pulsed the moment the chamber door opened. They’d become like a second heart, reacting to His Majesty’s presence; where Keito’s heart skipped a beat, the gems filled it in.

“What are you doing here?” the Jeweller entered the room, closing the door behind him. “Leave. I’m going to rest now, and I don’t want anyone to be present.”

“Y-Your Majesty,” Keito breathed out. The inside of his mouth was dry, and though he wanted to say more, he couldn’t, his throat suddenly tightening. Instead, he waited for the Jeweller to come closer, then he jumped forward to kowtow at His Majesty’s feet.

The Jeweller froze briefly, then he slowly fell down on one knee, and he made Keito lift his head up. His thumb grazed Keito’s lips, and Keito wondered what kind of expression His Majesty was currently sporting. “I see,” His Majesty let out a short laugh. “Tell me, Keito,” he let go and got up again, “what is it you want?”

The idea of shame had long become incomprehensible to Keito’s mind. Getting up to his knees, he clung to His Majesty’s plain grey robes, clutching the fabric so hard his hands were trembling. “Please, Your Majesty,” he uttered, his voice pleading, “hold me.”

“What if I say no?” the Jeweller, despite Keito’s desperate attempts to hold onto him, made his way to his bed, dragging Keito along effortlessly.

Keito whimpered. “Then at least allow me to do it myself,” he begged.

Suddenly, a hand lifted him off the ground and threw him onto the thin cushioning of the hard bed. Keito was used to rough handling by now, so he didn’t make a sound; his lips parted in anticipation when the Jeweller loomed over him. His Majesty’s hair tickled Keito’s face, and Keito inhaled shakily, taking in the familiar scent.

The Jeweller leaned down and kissed Keito lightly as if testing the waters. Since their first kiss, there had not been many more, and Keito shivered when he felt the other’s lips on his own; he was afraid of this sensation, as it brought out the vulnerable parts of him, though he would think he no longer had any.

His Majesty’s tongue slipped inside Keito’s mouth, and Keito closed his eyes firmly, digging his fingernails into the bed underneath him. The gems in his chest were emanating warmth, and Keito knew that it was not the Jeweller’s doing – they were only amplifying the sensation of arousal he had begun feeling several hours ago. With the Jeweller’s touch, they seemed to activate and were now pulsing gently as His Majesty slowly groped Keito’s chest.

Keito whimpered softly as their lips parted. The Jeweller backed away and stripped quickly, then he just as swiftly took off Keito’s loincloth. Keito was erect, he had been for ages, and it was becoming more than uncomfortable. When the Jeweller’s long digits wrapped around his length, he held his breath briefly.

“You’re rock hard,” His Majesty commented, pushing Keito’s legs a little apart to be able to see in between them. “Your ass is twitching, too. Have you been wanting it that much?”

Keito attempted to sit up, but the Jeweller pushed him right back. “Stay still,” he commanded.

Thus, Keito obediently lay back down, determined not to move a muscle. However, this determination was washed away as soon as he felt a different kind of touch on his shaft. “Wait, that’s—” he started, but was cut off when a wet cavern embraced his cock in its entire length.

His Majesty, the master of all life and death on the Isle of Jade, the dark creator, the god of earthly riches took his lowly servant’s dick in his mouth like it was nothing.

Keito nearly fainted of shock.

The way the Jeweller’s tongue moved was making his vision go blank, but there were also fingers rubbing, but not entering his hole which was starved for attention.

Soon, the Jeweller backed away a little. “You haven’t been using this one at all,” he chuckled, “but it looks like it remembers its role well.” His grip around Keito’s cock tightened, eliciting a whimper from the other. The Jeweller thumbed over the tip of Keito’s cock several times. Keito subconsciously spread his legs more, and His Majesty stopped moving his hand. “I told you to stay still,” he whispered, looming over Keito.

“S-Sorry,” Keito uttered shakily, clenching his teeth. His skin felt hot, and he ached to be touched more. His Majesty was usually not one to hold back, he’d squeeze Keito until he choked and bend him until he cried, and even during the times he chose to be gentle, he’d hug Keito closely. Until today, there was not really a need to ask this much.

When he opened his mouth to speak, he could feel his tongue dryly sticking to the roof of his mouth. “Y-Your Majesty…”

“Have you ever held anyone?” the Jeweller asked abruptly before moving back to resume the outrageous act of taking Keito’s erection in his mouth.

“N… I have not,” Keito let out between his teeth, clutching the sheet again. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he wished he could at least catch a glimpse of what was going on at his nether regions. The fact that this was happening was unthinkable, and he could scarcely believe it; the Jeweller’s long hair was tickling his skin softly.

He noticed that His Majesty’s breathing became heavier. The Jeweller was surprisingly good at this, though Keito couldn’t imagine him doing something like this with anyone.

The mouth on his cock went lower, taking Keito in all the way to the hilt, and Keito’s eyes rolled back in sheer pleasure. He was ready to come any second now, but he was afraid to fill His Majesty’s mouth like that. If he were to shoot his load down the Jeweller’s throat, there was no telling what would become of him.

“Your Majesty,” he let out strenuously, “I’m about to…”

The Jeweller backed away immediately. “Oh no, not yet.”

Keito let out a helpless sound, but there was a little part of him that found it reassuring. The Jeweller was meant to be teasing him rather than giving him one-sided pleasure. He closed his eyes, ready to surrender to the Jeweller as usual.

There was the rustle of the Jeweller’s robes, and moments after, soft fabric landed on Keito’s face. He clutched it with his hands, inhaling deeply. He had learned to like this, and he was aware that His Majesty knew; he was only a little regretful that he couldn’t see His Majesty now, in his naked glory.

The Jeweller’s hand was massaging his nether regions gently, keeping him hard, but not trying to bring him farther than that. Keito could feel his limbs twitching, and he had no power over it, but he could only wait – or beg for more.

“Your Majesty,” he muttered, his voice muffled under the Jeweller’s robes, “what’s…” he wanted to know what was happening because the Jeweller seemed to be stalling, but His Majesty shushed him.

Then, His Majesty moved from where he was, and moments later, Keito could feel someone’s knees on either side of him. He let out a choking sound, his blood freezing. The Jeweller himself couldn’t possibly…!

Disobeying his master’s orders, Keito struggled, but it was too late to try and escape; His Majesty lowered his hips slowly, and Keito experienced a mix of sheer horror and pure euphoria when a different, tighter kind of warmth enveloped his erection. He pulled the Jeweller’s robes off of his face and though he couldn’t see a thing, he shakily reached upward where he sensed His Majesty to be, wanting to be closer, to feel the other’s body because this was new to him and he was absolutely _terrified_.

His Majesty was not moving yet, and when Keito tried to embrace him, he allowed it. Keito was shivering, and he clung to the Jeweller’s waist, closing his eyes again as he leaned his face against the other’s chest. He could not hear the Jeweller’s heartbeat, but his own heart was beating fast enough for both of them.

Gently, as though he wanted to calm Keito down, the Jeweller caressed Keito’s hair. The touch was light and a little hesitant; Keito took a deep breath, and then he looked upwards into the darkness. “Your Majesty,” he muttered, “would you please kiss me?”

“Cheeky,” the Jeweller said, and Keito’s heart skipped a beat. He was suddenly worried he had overstepped his boundaries, but then His Majesty’s gaunt hands cradled his face, and their lips finally connected. Keito moaned into the Jeweller’s mouth softly, shuddering when he felt a tongue enter his mouth. He could feel the weight of His Majesty’s hard-on against his body, and then he realised his own hands had travelled lower and were now shamelessly resting on the Jeweller’s firm backside.

“S-Sorry,” he choked out in between kisses and let go; in that instant, His Majesty’s hands both shot down and made Keito resume that position.

The Jeweller did not say anything, resting his forehead against Keito’s own. Keito took an unsteady breath, and against sound reason, he leaned closer to steal one more kiss from His Majesty’s lips. Then, with a great deal of uncertainty, he reached up and traced his hand down along the Jeweller’s spine, lower and lower to finally reach the place where they were connected.

The Jeweller kissed him on the mouth again and then, finally, he began rocking his hips. Keito swallowed hard, and then he leaned back a little, stroking His Majesty’s thighs. This was the first time he was allowed to touch so much, and he wasn’t entirely sure what to do with this freedom. More than anything, though, he wished he could see this.

The gems on his chest began emitting a faint glow. It wasn’t apparent at first, but soon the violet light was strong enough to illuminate the Jeweller’s pallid skin. In awe, Keito collapsed back and watched His Majesty’s muscles convulse with every move. The Jeweller was hard, there was a bit of a sheen on his now sweaty skin, and his cascading white locks were sticking to it here and there. He looked at Keito from under his eyelashes, and he chuckled breathlessly, stopping. “You just had to be curious, huh?”

He reached out and touched the gems, turning them dark.

It did not last, and though Keito was not doing it consciously, they began glowing again, brighter than before.

“I should punish you for peeking without my permission,” the Jeweller said sternly, but his mouth was curving a little, and Keito saw that His Majesty was just joking.

“I didn’t—” he began explaining anyway, not wanting to be misunderstood. “They just – I didn’t try to…” his voice gradually faded out under His Majesty’s gaze.

The Jeweller was sporting a disarming smile. He reached down again and grazed Keito’s gems with his fingertips one by one, and Keito’s eyes filled with tears when he felt the already familiar wave of arousal begin to rise inside. He could feel that his face was getting red, though that was probably hard to see in the purplish light – and that made him wonder if His Majesty’s cheeks were red, too.

His Majesty leaned closer, shifting his weight onto his hands more, and he moved his hips again, his eyes never leaving Keito’s face; his hair fell off his shoulders like a silken curtain, tickling Keito’s skin.

Keito watched this happen, and though his mind was slowly going blank, an idea suddenly surfaced it – an idea he’d have considered suicidal mere months ago.

However, these months ago, His Majesty wouldn’t just go down on him like this, either.

He mustered up all the courage he had, and with heartbeat drumming in his ears he reached up, grabbing His Majesty’s shoulders; he pushed against them firmly, though the arousal he felt had drained him of some of his strength.

The Jeweller paused. “What, getting cold feet?” he said with eyes narrowed, then he added, “You’re still hard, though. I did think there was a chance you’d go limp, but…”

Keito shook his head, and he sat up, thus making the Jeweller back away. Unlike His Majesty, he was out of breath.

“ _What_ are you doing?” the Jeweller grabbed Keito’s lower jaw, and his tone of voice was now much sharper; he stared Keito down, displeased.

“Your Majesty,” Keito breathed out, and the next words got stuck in his throat, “Let… let me serve you.”

“Well, what do you think you were doing just now?” the Jeweller said, not letting go.

“No, I… I want to touch you more,” Keito said, and though he was a little scared, he did not look away from His Majesty’s dark eyes. He tried to catch his breath, and though his skin felt hot, he managed to calm down, if only a little.

“In other words, you want me to let you do as you please?” the Jeweller’s tone changed slightly, now seeming a little intrigued.

“I would be honoured, Your Majesty,” Keito replied meekly, and finally unable to withstand the Jeweller’s piercing stare, he lowered his eyelids.

“I feel like you’re getting a little too cocky,” the Jeweller clicked his tongue. “I’ll allow it,” he then said, grinding his hips to watch Keito squirm in his grip, “but if it’s not satisfactory, you’d better be ready for the consequences. And, of course, don’t you dare cum in me, either.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” said Keito, who was now definitely going to dream of it.

The Jeweller got off of him and flopped into the pillows, then he looked at Keito expectantly. Keito swallowed hard and moved closer, assuming a position between His Majesty’s legs. Carefully as not to offend, he gently placed his palms on the inner sides of the other’s lean thighs, and he slid them towards the Jeweller’s crotch.

Putting his fingers inside His Majesty felt beyond surreal, but he did it with only a little bit of hesitation. He wanted to take as much as he could from this opportunity, to feel and to touch and to taste wherever he was allowed to.

He groped around a little, hoping to find the same good spot His Majesty would often tease. He was unsure that the Jeweller even _had_ any, but he was determined to find it if there was one. His other hand took hold of His Majesty’s erection, and he massaged it slowly.

The Jeweller suddenly inhaled sharply, and Keito’s heart leapt in joy. That place he had just grazed – that was it, wasn’t it? He did it again and was rewarded with another gasp of pleasure from the other.

Though elated beyond measure, Keito did not pull his fingers out just yet. Instead, he let go of the penis he was holding, and he began stroking His Majesty’s toned stomach and abdomen. It felt good under his fingertips, and to his surprise, he found that His Majesty was possibly a little ticklish, as there was a shiver every now and then.

His Majesty’s breath grew faster, and knowing that he was doing well aroused Keito more. Deliberately, he pressed down on that sensitive spot harder, and the Jeweller’s body twitched, then relaxed into his touch.

“Keito,” His Majesty said, and his voice was a little hoarse. He did not say anything more, but Keito bowed his head and backed away for just a moment to take in the sight before his eyes. He couldn’t help himself – His Majesty lay in front of him as graceful as ever, and yet so, _so_ unbelievably inviting. There was not a sign of vulnerability about him, but Keito felt an instinctive need to treat the Jeweller gently. Something must have happened, and that was why His Majesty wanted to chase him out at first…

He swallowed hard, and a little clumsily, he pushed one of the Jeweller’s knees up; he was a little nervous, but he knew he had to hold the Jeweller close no matter what.

Carefully and with a great deal of self-restraint, he entered His Majesty, feeling as though he had just committed a sacrilege. At this moment, he realised that this was something that was never going to leave this room; with that thought, he leaned in and kissed the Jeweller on the lips. His Majesty returned the kiss, cradling the back of Keito’s head.

“Move,” the Jeweller said in a hushed whisper, his eyes sparkling with some emotion Keito could not read.

Keito drew his hips back slowly, lowering his eyelids. He felt the Jeweller shudder, and it thrilled him to feel the other’s body beneath him in this way. Without looking, he placed a gentle kiss on the Jeweller’s cheek, and another one on his lower jaw, neck, collarbone. There was an arm around him, holding him close, and Keito continued moving as he was instructed to, feeling much closer to the Jeweller than he had ever been.

He licked up His Majesty’s neck and peered at him secretively.

His Majesty’s eyes were closed, and head to the side and lips parted, he was breathing heavily, his forehead glistening with sweat.

Keito couldn’t resist and he took a hold of His Majesty’s head, fusing their lips together in a deep, deep kiss of heresy. It tasted a little salty, and Keito realised that it was he, not His Majesty, who was weeping. He did not understand what caused these tears to fall, but he did not let go, not even when His Majesty’s arms wrapped around him tightly and the Jeweller came before him.

“Your Majesty,” Keito gasped against the Jeweller’s lips inadvertently, and he thumbed over the other’s cheekbone gently. Remembering what he was told, he pulled out and reached to his crotch to finish what he started; His Majesty’s hand met his own on the way, and the Jeweller rolled them over so that Keito was now underneath.

His Majesty’s long bony fingers wrapped around Keito’s dick, and His Majesty lowered his head to kiss his lowly servant more while moving his wrist.

Keito came soon under His Majesty’s touch, his body quivering uncontrollably.

The Jeweller lay down next to him in no rush, and he pulled Keito close, not at all caring about the mess they’d made.

The glow slowly dimmed down, and as it disappeared, the darkness invited an ominous feeling with it. The Jeweller was playing with Keito’s hair, and though Keito couldn’t see him, he could sense that something was terribly, terribly wrong.

“Your Majesty,” he said, his voice uncertain, “is there anything I can do?”

There was a while of silence. “You’ve done plenty. You’ve been life’s water to the parched wasteland that I had become.” Though barely audible, the Jeweller’s voice still echoed through the room. “Although, if there’s anything I should ask of you…”

“Yes?”

“Don’t forget me.”

Keito choked out a sob. He didn’t understand at all, but his throat was clenched, and he closed his eyes, hiding his face. The bitter pang he felt in his chest in response to His Majesty’s words hurt worse than anything he had ever suffered through.

Clenching his teeth, he hugged the Jeweller tightly. Taken aback, His Majesty hesitated, but then he returned the embrace, and Keito was relieved that it felt warm.


	5. The Inevitable Attachment

His was an unforgivable love.

Keito was kneeling on the edge of the pool, carefully braiding His Majesty’s silky hair. His Majesty was resting his head against Keito’s knees; his eyes were closed, and he was breathing evenly.

It was unfortunate that Keito understood what this emotion was. He was still wary, of course, but his attraction towards the man who remade him was taking a clearer shape each day, lessening his fear and deepening his sadness. The Jeweller had no grasp on the feelings binding his poor servant’s heart, as he had never been human in the first place.

Keito was not a human anymore, but he used to be, and these feelings were not foreign to him.

After that night when the Jeweller did the most unexpected, it felt as though they had grown even closer. Though their positions naturally could never change, the Jeweller would treat Keito with even more care than before, making him blatantly different from any other servant in the palace.

Keito could easily see that he was special, but… this was hardly love. Keito wasn’t sure that His Majesty was capable of such an emotion in the first place. There was no doubt that His Majesty cared about Keito a great deal, as he had made that much abundantly clear, and yet Keito couldn’t shake the feeling that the only reason for the Jeweller’s favourable attitude was the fact that Keito was something unusual.

“Your hands have stopped,” the Jeweller spoke, and Keito’s heart skipped a beat.

“My apologies, Your Majesty,” he said hurriedly and resumed braiding the strands of silver he was holding. It was on His Majesty’s request, and truthfully, Keito couldn’t be happier, even though he had been allowed to do this kind of thing numerous times before. It was a blessing to be able to caress the Jeweller’s hair as he pleased.

He glanced around, and having made sure no-one was nearby to see it, he leaned in. His lips gently brushed over the braid he’d just made, and only after that did he take the Jeweller’s crown and gently put it on His Majesty’s head.

“Thank you,” the Jeweller said and got up. Keito was faster and held out the bathrobe the Jeweller came here in.

His Majesty wore it with Keito’s assistance, then eyed him. “You should get changed,” he said softly, reaching out to touch Keito’s hair. “I’m meeting traders from the western seas soon, and I want you to be there. Though,” he added, “they’re not the only ones, so you can leave after that if you like.”

“May I ask why Your Majesty would require my presence at such a meeting?” Keito asked. This had not happened since the last time when he got hurt and the idiot who was the reason for it was permanently removed from the island.

The Jeweller just smiled. “You’ll see,” he said. “Go get ready.”

Keito bowed his head and turned to head to his room. He had taken that path that even if his gems didn’t guide his way, he’d be able to make it there with his eyes closed.

He opened the door. The lights inside his room turned on. It was no longer necessary for them to be dark, as Keito got used to the omnipresent glow, but he wouldn’t complain – especially since this way, perhaps, the Jeweller would come to visit him one day.

He wished for his bed to be filled with His Majesty’s scent.

Shaking his head to chase away that blasphemous thought, he closed the door behind him and proceeded to strip. As this seemed to be a formal occasion, he figured he should look the part while accommodating the Jeweller’s tastes.

He took a moment to choose the right piece of silk. Eventually, he decided to use one that was slightly transparent, though not so much so that it would seem indecent.

He draped his loincloth around his hips and pinned it together with an ornate golden pin. By now, he had many different ones, as His Majesty was someone who seemed to value beauty greatly and had gifted Keito a plethora of jewellery over time.

He didn’t bother with shoes. He’d only wear them when going outside, as the Jeweller did not like seeing Keito’s feet getting dirty, but the floors of the palace were smooth and clean, so Keito would usually walk around barefoot.

He glanced at himself in the mirror.

The door opened and Keito’s caretaker, Mirabelle, walked in, carrying a washbasin and a jug of water. Keito could see that it was steaming in the cold room, so it was likely quite warm; she set it down by Keito’s vanity and then stood by his side, waiting.

“I can do it myself,” he said, though he was already sitting down for her to be able to reach his head.

Mirabelle carefully poured some water into the washbasin, then reached past him to grab a comb that was resting on the vanity. “It’s my job,” she muttered as she began taming his hair.

Keito didn’t say anything; instead, he pulled the washbasin closer and began washing his face.

Mirabelle, though she had been treating him with a great deal of caution since the start, seemed to have become a little afraid of him. Though he understood why, it made him a little sad; despite having been here for so long, he was still terribly alone – much like the Jeweller himself. He had hoped to become friendlier with her and some of the other fairies, but that was no longer possible, as he was now more similar to the Jeweller than he was before.

The fairies wouldn’t dare approach their god’s unique creation. As His Majesty had said, Keito was to be worshipped – whether he liked it or not.

“Did His Majesty send you?” Keito asked.

“Yes,” Mirabelle replied. “I was told to help get you ready. His Majesty is expecting you to come to him in about an hour.”

“I see, thank you.” Keito closed his eyes and waited for her to finish combing his hair.

“Would you like me to help you choose your accessories?” she suggested once she was done, immediately stepping away so as to stand at a polite distance.

Keito thought about it briefly. “No, it’s alright,” he said, shaking his head, and he gave her a soft smile.

She looked away immediately, a faint blush briefly appearing on her pallid cheeks. “I’ll take my leave, then,” she said quickly. “Please call me, should you need anything.” Then, she scurried out of the room.

Keito sighed and opened his vanity’s top drawer. He knew that she didn’t blush because she’d find him attractive. Every single person living in this palace would react in a similarly bashful way and Keito came to understand that it was because they considered him a being above themselves.

It was sickening.

With mixed feelings, he eyed the abundance of bracelets and anklets of various shapes and sizes before him; though he knew he should be grateful for any present His Majesty chose to bestow upon him, he also felt that the only reason the Jeweller was giving him these things was that His Majesty appreciated pretty things. After all, Keito himself had been turned into one of them; rather than being liked or favoured, he was like a rare bird.

To put it simply, he was – for the most part – a decoration.

There was no way he could speak up about that.

His Majesty wouldn’t probably understand why it was a problem in the first place.

No rings, he decided. Instead, he picked up a couple of delicate bracelets to wear on his left wrist and a golden chain anklet with a toe ring on his right foot. Eventually, he chose to wear a thin golden chain necklace as well; it was not much, but as he eyed himself in the mirror, he smiled a little. After he’d settled down at the Jeweller’s palace, his narcissism re-emerged with vengeance, and now, he could proudly say that he looked really damn good.

Well, _of course_ he’d be a decoration with this kind of face.

Sighing again, he dipped his fingers in water and quickly fixed an unruly strand of hair. He had gone to bed with his hair still wet last night, and so it was now trying to live its own life independently of Keito’s wishes.

In no rush, he walked out of his room and turned to head in the general direction of the Jeweller. There was plenty of time left, but he’d rather stand by the door until then than make the Jeweller wait.

As he was making his way through the green gem-illuminated corridors, he sank deeper into his thoughts. What he wanted to know the most was if he, in the eyes of His Majesty, was a replaceable existence. The way he was being treated suggested otherwise, but the Jeweller was a god, one of the _original_ ones, and as far as Keito knew, immortal. What the situation seemed like to Keito could be completely different from the Jeweller thought; if this exotic bird ended up dying, would His Majesty be at least a little sad?

And… _could_ he even die?

After that time he learned that he was no longer human, he was worried something terrible was going to happen, because the Jeweller began acting affectionate with him – extremely so, in comparison to the way he treated Keito before his full transformation. At this point, there were probably not many things Keito wouldn’t be forgiven for… though, of course, he’d rather not push his luck. After all, he did not want to be thrown away, especially now that he had become aware of his hopeless feelings.

It hurt so much. His Majesty’s behaviour was worrisome, and yet he was not allowed to voice any of his concerns, for his love reached far beyond that of the admiration towards something greater. A desire to monopolise had emerged, twisting and contorting his gut whenever Keito remembered that the kind of closeness he desired was out of his reach. A god to an entire nation could not possibly become Keito’s and Keito’s only; his acts of benevolence and his smiles, though few in number, were for those who won His favour.

Keito selfishly wanted them all. – every kind word, every smile, every touch. As far as he knew, the Jeweller did not choose to lay with anyone else since Keito came to the palace, but he couldn’t even _ask_ to make sure. If he could, he’d at least stick to His Majesty’s side at all times, but his body needed the usual human maintenance for the most part, so he _couldn’t_.

Though he knew the jealousy he felt was baseless, he couldn’t help it, and that could have been why it hurt so much. His Majesty could have anyone he wanted, all he’d have to do was to point a finger… but even if he didn’t, even if he really bedded no other, Keito’s feelings were not reciprocated, and his yearning grew ever more painful.

He had long forgiven the torture he was subjected to – not because he had forgotten the pain, but instead because he felt it had made him stronger. That, for sure, was not His Majesty’s intention, but it happened regardless. Nothing about Keito now resembled the once childish uncouth idiot he once was.

Nothing… except his possessiveness. If anything, that had become much worse, and he had no means of controlling it.

He took a deep breath and entered the audience hall from the north side. It was huge, and when nothing was happening, it felt terribly empty; the north side had one entrance directly behind the throne, and the south side had a large ornamental archway for people to come and prostrate before the deity of the Isle of Jade.

At this moment, the hall was full of fairy nobility; they were chatting among themselves, though none dared raise their voice in the presence of the Jeweller himself.

Keito made his way to the throne and bowed, his right hand touching the middle gem on his chest. “I’m here, Your Majesty,” he said.

The Jeweller nodded at him and gestured at him to sit down.

Keito obeyed and settled at the Jeweller’s feet; right after, His Majesty reached down and made Keito lean on his lap.

Keito held his breath as he scooted a little closer to sit more comfortably, ignoring the gasps from the crowd. It was true that he hardly ever appeared publicly, and not many have seen the closeness at which the Jeweller preferred Keito to be. There were probably many who had never seen his face at all.

The sound of gong echoed throughout the hall.

A group of people was allowed to enter through the archway. Three of them were walking in the front, dressed in expensive garb, and others were behind them, wearing simple clothing and carrying heavy chests.

Though they were all taller than any member of the fairy court, they walked carefully, each step light and as quiet as possible as not to offend; they stopped before the Jeweller, took off their headwear and bowed, the man at the very front sweeping the floor with the large feather he had on his hat.

“Your Majesty,” he said, “it is a great honour.”

The Jeweller nodded. “I trust you have brought what I asked for?” he asked without a greeting.

“Indeed,” the merchant nodded frantically, and he gestured at his men. One of them handed him a large ornamental jewellery box. It was carved from a similar matte gemstone that was lining the walls of the Jeweller’s palace. The merchant took the box and held it up.

One of the fairies took it from his hands and approached the Jeweller carefully, his hands trembling as he handed it over to His Majesty. He then hurriedly backed away and resumed his original position.

“There’s,” the merchant began nervously, “just a small problem.”

“A problem?” the Jeweller narrowed his eyes, studying the box closely.

“I… we have not been able to find the key,” the merchant admitted. “We didn’t want to pick the lock because if it got damaged…”

 _Click_.

The Jeweller, ignoring the merchant’s words, opened the box and looked inside. “Keito,” he said.

Keito got up, and His Majesty lay the box on his lap and took out a silvery necklace with three – no, four rows of diamonds. He eyed Keito, and he put it back down.

“Mirabelle,” he said, and Keito’s caretaker hurried closer.

“Your Majesty,” she bowed deeply.

The Jeweller looked at Keito again. “Lose the gold,” he said. “All of it.”

Obediently, Keito took his accessories off one by one, handing them to Mirabelle. After he took his anklet off, he placed his hand on the pin on his sash and hesitated.

“All of it,” the Jeweller repeated, smiling softly.

Keito took the pin out, and the sash fell off his hips, landing onto the ground as Keito stood there in his naked glory. Mirabelle picked it up, took the pin from Keito’s hand, and then she was dismissed with a gesture of the Jeweller’s hand.

Keito realised that as soon as the Jeweller took a hold of the box, he seemed to have forgotten that the west sea traders were still present, either hoping to get a reward or to be sent away without one (though most likely the former).

Instead, His Majesty took out the necklace again, and then he handed the box to Keito. Gently, he closed the diamond chain around Keito’s neck; taking a step back, he admired his handiwork for a moment, then he reached into the box again and placed a thin chain of the same design around Keito’s waist; there were two longer chains on either side, resting in loops on his hips.

Keito stood still, not daring to move a muscle, but even so, he knew that everyone’s eyes were glued to the two of them.

His Majesty? Dressing his servant himself? Unheard of.

The Jeweller knelt momentarily to give Keito a new anklet, and Keito could swear he heard someone muffle a scream.

The Jeweller took a step back again, then smiled in satisfaction and finally turned towards the merchant. “Is there anyone in your group who can paint?” he asked. When the merchant hesitantly nodded, he continued, “I’ll give you double the price of the box if I’m satisfied with the painting.”

The merchant’s eyes widened with the vision of mammon. “I’m sure you won’t regret it,” he said hurriedly.

“No,” the Jeweller said warmly, “but if the painting isn’t good enough, you might.”

The merchant swallowed hard, turning almost as pale as Keito; before he could apologise, though, the Jeweller spoke again. “Is there anything else?”

“Ah… well, I have also brought other items that might be of interest,” the merchant spoke cautiously.

“I trust you can discuss these with Duke Robin,” the Jeweller said. “We will discuss the painting tomorrow, as well as the reward I have offered you for the jewellery box. Now, leave.”

As soon as they were gone, the Jeweller uncompromisingly pulled Keito into his lap. “Gorgeous,” he whispered, his hands on the other’s diamond-adorned hips. “I can’t wait to mess you up later.”

“Your Majesty,” Keito objected under his breath, “now is not the time.”

“Cheeky.” The Jeweller sneaked his arm around Keito’s slim waist. “Call our next guest,” he added then, a little louder.

The gong echoed once more.

Keito crossed his legs.

It was completely His Majesty’s fault he was now getting a little aroused from anticipation.


End file.
